Flexible connection



Dec. 26, 1933. F. w. KULICKE A FLEXIBLE CONNECTION Filed March 1, 1930 .m 1 M m nl@ Patented Dec. 26, 1933 PATENT rOFFICE j 1,941,095 umana coNNEoTToN Frederick W. Kulicke, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner, by mesne assignments, to The Eiectrolock Manufacturing Company, Vicksburg, Miss., a corporation of Mississippi application 1, ma. smal No.A 432,348 s claims. (c1. 173-2709) In the equipment of automobiles and the like it is desirable and practically necessary to provide means which will prevent the completion of the electric circuit including the ignition means when the lock for `preventing theft of the auto-` mobile is in locked position. In order to meet that necessity or requirement the connection between the electric conductor and the timer distributor of an ignition system should be such 1o as to prevent disconnection thereof and also to prevent access to the said conductor or the interrupting elements embodied in the timer distributor structure. At the same time it is desirablethat means be provided whereby the conductor may be moved or adjusted with respect to the timer distributor and to that end I have invented and designed an improved construction of connecting means.

The general 'object of my invention is to vprovide an adjustable connection between a conductor forming a part of the circuit of an 'ignition system and the timer distributor of such system, which connection is of a character `such that whenoncemade it cannot be released or 26 disconnected. y

A further object of the invention is to provide an' adjustable connection which while novel in character is simple and effective for the purpose for which it has been designed.

80 Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the detailed description .thereof which follows or will be apparent from such description.

To the end that the invention may be readily preciated reference should be had to the accomdrawing forming a part of this speciacation and wherein I have illustrated a preferred construction of means embodying the mvention. However, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms of construction than that shown and that changes in the details of construction may-be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the said invention or its principle. f

In the drawing: l l Fig. 1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section of a connection between a timer distributor and one end of a conducting wire forming part of the circuit of an ignition system, the said view also showing a portion of thetimer distributor adjoining the connection and also a portion of the conductor with the protecting armor or cas- 55 ing therefor;

understood and its practical advantages fully ap.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on v the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

`In the drawing I have shown at 1 a portion of a so timer distributor of any known construction which is adapted to be rotatably adjusted for the purpose of changing the timing of the spark by whichV ignition is effected. The ignition circuit comprises a member 2 secured upon a bracket 55 or lug 3 located interiorly of the casing of the timer distributor, the said part 3 having connection with one of the interrupting contacts, not shown, of the timer distributor. 'Ihe part 2 projects through an opening 4 in the side well of the 'm timer distributor and terminates in a head 5 exteriorly thereof. The opening 4 is of greater diameter than that of the member 2 so as to accommodate a bushing 6 of insulating material, which bushing is mounted lupon the outer end portion of the part 2 inside ofthe head 5. The outer end of the bushing 6 isprovided with a flange 7. A

washer 8 is located between the flanged outer end of the bushing 6 'and the head 5y of the part 2. A tubular member 10 surrounds and incloses the 90 outer end of the bushing 6 and the outer end of the part 2. The said tubular member is provided at its inner end with an inwardly turned flange 11 the edge of which engages the bushing 6 inwardly of and in spaced relation to the ange 'I thereof. g5 A spring washer 12 is interposed between the ilange'lofthebushingandtheilangell sothat the inner end of the tubular member is held yieldingly in contact with the surface of the adjoining portion of the wall of the timer disoo tributor` 1. The outer end portion of the wall of the tubular member 10 is thickened as indicated and is provided upon its inner side with an annular groove or channel 15 for the reception of a pin or lug 16 which projects from the inner end 95 of the sheet metal casing 17 which surrounds the inner end portion of the conductor 18 and its solid terminal 19 to which the conductor 18 is joined. T'hepin or lug 16 is mounted near one end of a bent springf20 which extends. part way 10o around the inner surface of the inner end portion of the casing 17. The said lug or projection extends outwardly through anyopening 21 inthe v casing 17 and its outer end projects into the annular groove or channel 15. The spring 20 is 106 retained within the casing 17 by means of a projection 22 formed by an indentation in the metal of the casing atthe end thereof as shown in Fig. 2. The external diameter of the inner end of the casing 17 is such as to permit it to be no inserted into and to fit snugly within the outer open end of the tubular member 10. In order to effect such insertion the pin or lug 16 may be depressed so as to cause its outer end to occupy a position flush with the adjoining surface of the casing 17. When the casing has been inserted a suiiicient distance into the outer end of the tubular member 10 the action of the spring causes the pin to move outwardly to engage the groove or channel 15. After such engagement it will be impossible, except by destruction or breaking up of the connection, to separate the part 17 from the part 10. The pin or lug 16 is slidable in the groove or channel 15 so that there may be relative rotation of the members or parts 10 and 17 and the parts carried by and associated with the part 17. The casing 17 is made up of two supplemental members a and b each of which is provided with outwardly and radially extending flanges 25 and 26. The edge portions of the flanges 26 are bent around and into engagement with the flanges 25, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the two parts a and b are permanently connected and united.

The inner end portion of the casing 17 is of slightly greater diameter than the outer portion thereof to provide an annular shoulder 27 against which a disc 30 of insulating material is supported within the said casing 17. The terminal part 19 is provided at its inner end with a head 31. A coiled spring 32 mounted upon the inner end portion of the terminal part 19 and located between the head 31 and the disc 30 operates, when the connection has been made, to hold the head 31 outwardly in contact with the outer side of the head 5 upon the part 2. lFor the purpose of limiting the outward movement of the terminal part 19 before the casing 17 is connected with the tubular member 10 I have provided stops33 which are adapted to contact with the disc 30 when the said part is moved outwardly with respect to the end of said casing by the action of the spring 32. The portion ofthe conductor outside of the casing 17 is protected by means of an armor of coiled wire, as indicated at 35. 'I'he said coiledA wire armor extends into the outer end of the casing 17 and may be secured therein in any desired manner, as by the indentation of the metal of the casing 17 so as to provide projectlons which engage the portion of the said coiled wire armor 35 within the outer end of the said casing. To limit the extent of the insertion of the coiled wire armor 35 into the outer end of the casing 17 I have provided lugs 36 produced by indenting the metal of the casing 17.

The casing 17 is of elbow shape as shown; that is. the inner end portion thereof extends in a direction substantially at right angles to the outer end portion thereof. However, it will be understood that my invention is not limited to a structure in which the casing is of angular shape but such casing may be straight or the said casing may be replaced by an equivalent meansfor protecting the end portion of the conductor in adjoining relation to the timer distributor.

It will be apparent that the casing 17 is rotatably adjustable with respect to the tubular member 10 and the part 5. As a result of that relationship it will be clear that the said casing 17 and conductor extending therethrough may assume diiierent relationships to the timer distributor. By reason of the adjustable feature of the connection embodying my invention it will be vapparent that when the timer distributor is rotatably adjusted for the purpose of varying the timing of the ignition spark of the ignition system the inner end portion of the casing 17 may rotate with respect to the tubular member 10 thereby reducing to a minimum the amountof movement which may be imposed upon the portions of the conductor and the coiled armor 35 in adjoining relation to the outer end of the casing 17.

Although in the construction as illustrated the inner end of the casing v17 extends into the outer open end of the tubular member 10 yet it will be understood that the parts may occupy reversed relation with respect to each other, in which event the pin or lug 16 would be mounted within the outer end of the tubular member 10 while the annular groove or channel corresponding to the groove or channel 15 would be located upon the inner side of the inner end portion of the casing 17.

It will be seen that by my invention I have provided an adjustable connecting means for joining an end of a conductor forming part of the circuit of an ignition system to a timer distributor in such manner that while relative adjustment between the connected parts is permitted yet disconnection of the said parts is rendered impossible.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable connection for connecting an end of an electric circuit to a timer distributor comprising tubular members each having open ends and one of which is of a diameter permitting it to be telescopically inserted into the open end of the other, one of said members housing an electric terminal and the other being attached to a timer distributor, the inner side of the outer of said telescoping ends of said members having an annular groove in the inner surface thereof and the inner telescoped end of the other of said members being provided with a lug and with yielding means to normally hold the end of said lug projecting outwardly from the surface of said inner tubular member and to permanently irremovably retain said end of said lug within said annular groove when the end portions of said members are placed in telescoped relation with each other with the end of said lug in registration with said groove, whereby said tubular members are inseparably looked together.

2. An adjustable connection for connecting an end of an electric conductor to a timer distributor, the saidlfconnection comprising a tubular member having an annular groove upon its inner side near its outer end, means for connecting said tubular member to the said timer distributor, a tubular member housing an electric conducting wire, the outer end of said last named tubular member being oi' a diameter to permit its insertion into the outer end of the first lnamed tubular member, and a spring mounted within the second named tubular member and having thereon a lug which projects through an opening in said second named tubular member, the said lug engaging the said annular groove when the ends of the said tubular members are placed in telescoping relation to hold the same permanently connected.

3. The combination with a timer distributor of an electro-conductive member mounted upon said timer distributor to constitute a part of the electric circuit of an ignition system, one end of said tubular member projecting outwardly from said timer distributor, a conductor of electricity, one end of which has a terminal head which is adapted to contact with the outer end of said electro-Conductive'member, two tubular members within which and near the ends of which said electro-conductive member and said terminal head are respectively housed, one of said tubular members being telescopically slidable into and out of the end of said tubular members, the outer of said tubular members being provided on its inner surface with an annular groove having an abrupt wall, a lug normally projecting outwardly from the outer surface of said inner tubular member, yielding means carried by said inner member to force said lug into said channel when said pin and groove are in registration to perma. nently, inseparably lock said tubular members together and yielding means for holding said terminal head pressed against the outer end of said electro-conductive member.

4. In combination, a partmounted upon and projecting from a timer distributor, the said part constituting a portion of the circuit of an ignition system, a conductor constituting a part of the said circuit one end of which is adapted to contact with the outer end of the said part, a tubular member mounted upon the outer end of said part, the said tubular member having an open outer end'and also having an annular groove upon its inner side near the said end, means for retaining the said tubular member upon said part, a tubular member inclosing an end portion of the said conductor, the outer end of said tubular member being of a diameter to permit its insertion into the open outer end of the iirst named tubular member, a spring mounted within the second named tubular member near itsopen end,

`said spring having a lug mounted thereon which projects through an opening in the side of said second named tubular member, the said lug engaging the said groove when the end of said second named tubular member is inserted into the outer end of the first named tubular member.

5. An adjustablev connecting means comprising a tubular member mounted upon and projecting from a timer distributor and having an open end provided on its inner side with a groove near the open end thereof, a second tubular member for enclosing an electrical connector and having one end of a diameter to permit its insertion into the open end of the first named tubular member, a

substantially annular plate spring within `said second named ltubular member and iitting around and pressing against the inner wall thereof, and a lug mounted upon said spring and normally projecting through an opening in the wall of said second named tubular member, the said lug being pressed by said spring into said groove when the end of the second named tubular member is inserted into the end of the first named tubular member and said lug is in registration with said groove, whereby said lug and spring-are wholly concealed within said tubular members and said tubular members are permanently, inseparably locked together. y

6. In adjustable connecting vmeans for connecting an end' of a conductor forming part of the circuit of an ignition system to the timer distributor of such system, the combination of a part mounted within the said timer distributor and projecting outwardly through an opening in the side thereof, said part constituting a portion of the said circuit, a tubular member yieldingly connected at one end to the outer end of said part, the opposite end of said tubular member being open and having an annular groove provided upon the inner side thereof near its open end, a conductor one end of which is adapted to contact with the outer end of the said part, a tubular member surrounding the said end of the said conductor, the outer end of said tubular member being of a diameter to permit its insertion into the outer open end of said flrst named tubular member, the said second named tubular member having an opening in the side thereof', a bent plate spring mounted within the said second named tubular member near the end thereof, a lug mounted upon said spring, which lug extends through the opening in the side of the second named tubular member and is held in pro 

